I sighed. This was the conversation I’d been avoiding. I wasn’t used to failure. It was going to be painful to hear about how I’d bombed the presentation. But this afternoon, while I was welding pieces together, I’d decided that that was no longer going to be in my profile. The new Trina accepted failure and kept on rolling. It was a part of being human.
“Thank you for being on my panel for Research Methods,” I said, giving her a grateful smile. “I didn’t expect it to go that way. I wish I could’ve given you a heads-up.”
“None of us expected that,” Mrs. Drew said with a laugh. She shook her head with an amazed expression. “Girl, you’re the kind of student every teacher dreams of. Your presentation was so honest and raw. Professor Garret was raving about it. She’s never had a student take this project so seriously. She loved your take on ethics in research.”
My mouth fell open and I stared at her wide-eyed. “Wait...what? What does that mean?”
“It means you aced your project!”
Joy burst inside me like a warm water balloon. I grasped her hands and bounced on my feet. “Are you serious? I passed?”
I’d been fully prepared for that F. I would’ve worn it on my heart as a badge of my growing up. But this A was a totally new lesson to add to the list. It was a reminder not to count myself out of the battle before the flag was raised. Life was incredibly unpredictable. I was starting to like it that way.
“You passed with flying colors, baby.” Mrs. Drew elbowed me playfully. “Got to say, I was fully prepared to be in my after-lunch coma during your presentation, but you woke me up with that declaration of love. Where is the lucky guy? Why isn’t he trailing behind you, counting his lucky stars?”
“Ha!” I swallowed down the slight lump in my throat as my joy dampened. “Let’s just say, he’s trailing behind another girl right now.”
Her eyes narrowed and her mouth turned down in sympathy.
“No, don’t worry about me,” I added. “It’s okay. I’m okay. I’ve got this. Thanks to you, my really difficult day just got better.”
Two out of three wasn’t bad. I aced my presentation. Finally got the nerve to talk to my parents about my future. If anything, it was a victory. If only my heart would stop seizing every time I thought about Mason.
“Well, I’m glad I could help a little bit,” Mrs. Drew said, giving my arm a last squeeze. “Have a good weekend, Trina. Go make some art. Revel in the temperate beauty of this world. You’ve got a soul worth sharing.”
I thanked her and continued on my way to the back parking lot where my Chevy was parked. My arms hugged my torso as I thought about her words. Today was really the first time I truly believed that I had something worth sharing. My art. My opinion. My truth. It felt good. It felt beautiful. And I knew that beauty would come out in the class sculpture.
And as I pushed through the doors to the parking lot, the noise of the celebrating crowds dulled behind me. The night was clear and crisp, the kind that made the tip of my nose freeze as I stared up in awe at the inky black sky and the handful of stars brave enough to weather the winter. The sight soothed the ache still throbbing beneath my left ribcage and caused hope to blossom in my heart.
Mrs. Drew was right. This world was so beautiful — even during the most painful of goodbyes. There was a sharpness, a clarity, to seeing it like this.
It felt right.
Maybe I really could handle this goodbye.
That peaceful moment was interrupted by the sound of the doors opening behind me. I closed my eyes and tried to block out the sound of distant celebrations breaking through the night air. The sudden reminder that Mason was in there, celebrating his big win, was hard to stomach. I wanted nothing more than to go back in there and run into his arms. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight.
Or ever.
And just as I was sinking back into my misery, a throat cleared behind me. “What do you want?”
My shoulders tensed. I knew that voice. But he wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to be surrounded by his adoring fans, celebrating a huge win.
“Mason?” I turned slowly, almost afraid I was hallucinating the sound of his voice.
He stood only a few feet behind me, still wearing his white basketball jersey. His black backpack was flung over his shoulder. The darkness obscured his eyes just enough that I couldn’t tell if he was glaring at me in anger or just waiting for a response. His sudden appearance made my knees feel like jelly and I was afraid I was going to fall once again in my wobbly high heels.
“What are you doing here?” I asked quietly, surprised my voice was working.
How had he found me? I would’ve thought the fans in there would’ve distracted him long enough for me to get to my car.
He took a step toward me, the lights of the parking lot throwing his face more into view. There was no glare. No sign of anger. His forehead was furrowed and his mouth pulled down into a deep frown. Questions blazed in his eyes. “You’re the one who showed up at my game after disappearing off the planet this afternoon. So I have to know, Trina, what is it that you want?”
My gaze traced the hard lines of his mouth, remembering just a week ago how he’d kissed me so completely my head spun. Desperation exploded in my gut. Hadn’t I been completely clear today? I wanted him! No one but him. Why was he making me humiliate myself again?
“I can’t...” I took a step backwards and waved a hand at him. “I just can’t talk to you right now.”
“Okay, what’s it going to take?” He raised his arms in question and moved another step toward me. “Another game of spin-the-bottle? Another dare? Trina Frye, I dare you to tell me once and for all what’s going on inside that head of yours, because I’m done guessing. I told you how I felt about you and you rejected me. Pushed me on another girl. And then today, you tell me in front of a room full of people that you fell for me?”
He pushed a hand through his hair, ruffling the sweaty locks and looking both frustrated and unbelievably sexy at the same time. My fingers felt that familiar itch, except instead of wanting to create art, I wanted nothing more than to work my fingers into his soft hair. Biting my lower lip, I kept my hands glued to my sides and grimaced at his speech. Hearing him describe it aloud was painful. I really was the worst.
“So, what is it?” he asked, his voice lowering into a growl. “Put me out of my misery, Trina. Forget about school. Forget about anyone else. Forget the stupid plan. Tell me, for once, what you really want.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
I turned on my heels and sped toward the parking lot as fast as I could go without spraining an ankle. My Chevy waited for me at the end of the next row, its blue exterior winking in the glow of the street lamps like a beacon of safety. My brain had completely shut off. It was in flight or fight mode now, and flight was the only option.
“Trina, come on, talk to me.”
Mason jogged to my side, not touching me, but easily keeping pace until I made it to my passenger door. He groaned in frustration as I fumbled with my car keys. When they slid from my trembling fingers to the ground, he reached to pick them up.
“Give me back my keys, please,” I said, my eyes glued to the door handle. If I looked at him, I just knew I wouldn’t be able to keep it together. “I can’t stay here.”
He reached for my hand and placed the keys in my palm, but didn’t let go. Instead, he gently enclosed it with his two hands, sending electricity shooting up my arm. I should’ve pulled away. He shouldn’t have been touching me. Polly was just inside that gym. He should’ve been celebrating with her.
“I won’t stop you from leaving,” he said softly, leaning down to try and catch my eye. “But I wish you’d stay. I wish you’d talk to me.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. What was he trying to do to me? I’d come here to say goodbye, not relive my humiliating presentation. This would’ve been a lot easier if he’d just let me fade away from his life, like he’d planned when he’d transferred classes.
<
br /> “I’m not sure what else there is to talk about,” I said, staring at his tennis shoes. The left shoe’s laces had become untied. “I said those things to you today because keeping them inside felt like lying. But I’m not expecting anything from you. I know you’re back with Polly. I’m happy for you.”
He reached under my chin and gently tilted my head up until my gaze met his. Frustration danced in his eyes. “Who told you I’m back with Polly?”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I couldn’t tell if it was because of his touch or my embarrassment. “Well, no one. I saw you two together the other day. It just makes sense. With the history you two have, it’s fate.”
“Have you ever considered that fate is just another word for one of your plans?” he asked, his eyes flashing dangerously. “I thought the whole point of your little speech today was that you were giving up on having a plan.”
My mouth fell open as I tried to argue with him, but I couldn’t. Okay, so maybe Mason was on to something. When he put it that way, fate did seem like another version of the plan. If I truly was giving up on having plans, then I had to let go of the idea of fate.
Honestly, my brain was so tired from all of the life changes I’d been making today that I could barely come up with a reply. Mason seemed frustrated by my silence. He moved toward me, until my back was pressed against the car. His jaw muscles tightened and released as his gaze took in my entire face, his hand still cupping my chin.
“What Polly and I have is a friendship,” he said in a low and determined voice. “It’s true, we’ve known each other for a long time. My cancer and her dad’s illness brought us together during the hardest parts of our lives. And yes, we dated, but when I moved here it took us about a minute to realize we were better off as friends. It took me just as long to realize that what I felt for you was something I’d never experienced before. Which is why I promised to help you weld that statue of yours, even when I had no clue what I was doing.”
He tenderly moved his hand to brush the curls away from the side of my face. The light touch of his fingertips along my cheek was so electrifying it felt like I should’ve seen sparks fly off into the darkness. The sensation caused me to inhale sharply. Mason’s gaze immediately darted to my mouth. He wetted his lips with the tip of his tongue, his breathing growing heavier. Heat immediately burst to life in my gut. I had a hard time keeping my shaky legs from collapsing.
“You’re not with Polly?” I looked up into his eyes, realizing for the first time that maybe, just maybe, I hadn’t screwed everything up. That once again, the flag hadn’t been raised on this battle.
He shook his head and tucked a hair behind my ear, causing a shiver to run clear down my spine. “No.”
“But I hurt you. How can you forgive me for that?”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m pretty tough.” He leaned his forehead against mine with a low chuckle. “And you’re worth all of that and more.”
I closed my eyes, feeling a sudden burst of hope inside my ribcage. My hands found their way to his chest and I could feel the fluttering of his heart beneath my palms. He sighed and ran his hand down the side of my neck.
“I’ve got something for you.” He reached back into the side pocket of his backpack and pulled out a crumpled and folded piece of paper. Smoothing it out, he held it up in the poor lighting. “I wrote this right before Savannah’s party. I was going to give it to you there, but never got the chance.”
I winced at the memory of our failed kiss and eventual public embarrassment.
He cleared his throat and stared down at the paper. “Dear Trina. I like your beautiful green eyes and the way they light up when you smile. I like how you notice people and see the good in everyone. I like how you call me on my crabby attitude and make me laugh, even when I don’t want to. I like the way you always smell like flowers and sunshine. And I like the way I feel when I’m around you.”
He glanced up at me, as if to make sure I was still listening. I was, but my heart was beating madly and threatening to drown him out. This was a love letter to end all love letters. And it was all for me! I could hardly contain my happiness.
“The truth is,” he continued, looking down again, “if I tried to write down all the things I like about you, I don’t think I’d have enough paper. But I wanted you to know that I do notice you. I can’t help noticing you. You’re like no one else I’ve ever met. And I only think about you.”
He folded the paper back up and gave me a look so full of longing that it made warmth explode in my gut.
“I’m going to ask one last time, Trina.” He cleared his throat. Twice. “I’m pretty sure I’ve made myself more than clear, but you’ve got to tell me. What do you want?”
Emotions swirled inside my head like a vibrant kaleidoscope of colors. I wanted to capture them, to put them into the perfect response to tell Mason just how much I needed him. But instead, I found myself speechless, unable to find the words.
And as I struggled, a few moments of silence passed between us. Finally, Mason sighed and pulled away just far enough to look me in the eyes. He wore a pleading expression, one that told me he’d really put his heart on the line this time. There was no going back. He was totally exposed.
“If this isn’t what you want...” He winced, scrubbing his face with his hand. “If I’m overstepping here, just tell me to back off. And I’ll leave you alone. I won’t even look at you again. I’ll disappear. Heck, I’ll transfer schools if that’s what you want—”
I silenced him by throwing my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. Maybe the words wouldn’t come to me, but I could definitely show him exactly what I wanted. It didn’t take him long to forget his speech and get on the same page. With a low groan into my mouth, he wrapped his left arm tight around my waist and pressed me hard into my car door. His right hand cradled my cheek as he kissed me, his thumb leaving fiery trails along my jawline.
Our first kiss had been hurried and desperate. This one was slow and deliberate. He took his time exploring my mouth, his tenderness nearly bringing tears to my eyes. This kiss was everything. It was a cascade of colors and shapes behind my closed eyelids. My senses overtook me as my hands explored the carved-out planes of his upper arms and his back. The hurt and pain of the last week was quickly washed away with the salty and sweet taste of his soft lips.
It wasn’t until he began to shiver beneath my hands that I pushed him slightly away and looked up into his eyes with concern. “We should go inside. You’ll freeze in that jersey.”
He smirked and his eyes flashed with a smoldering expression that made my knees tremble. “Trust me. I’m not shivering because of the cold.”
My mouth fell open into an O as my cheeks burned hot. Now that I thought about it, the cold night was hardly affecting me, either. That kiss had warmed me to my very toes. I could’ve stayed like that forever, wrapped up in Mason’s arms.
“In case none of that was clear,” I said, laying my head on his hard chest, “I want you. Only you.”
He chuckled and ran a hand over my head. “Thanks for that. I was confused. Next time, I’ll ask you to paint a picture. That might save me the headache of waiting for a clear answer.”
I grinned and then planted a quick peck on his lips. He ran his hands up and down my back, his eyes never leaving my face. The expression in them was so warm, I would never feel cold again.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy,” he said, his lips curling into one of those rare and beautiful smiles that I loved. “Between you, beating Silver Lake, and the news from the hospital, I don’t think I’ll ever sleep again. Let’s do something crazy tonight. Let’s stay up all night and watch the sunrise. You might not be surprised to find out that I can’t remember the last time I was up in time to see it.”
I splayed my hand on his chest and blinked at him. Did he say what I thought he just said?
“News? What news?”
His brow wrinkled with disbelief. “You
didn’t hear? Polly did me a solid and made sure to leak the secret to the chattiest of the cheerleaders so word would get around by game time. I’m surprised you don’t know.”
“I skipped my classes this afternoon to work on the sculpture,” I said, widening my eyes. “No one told me anything.”
Now that I thought about it, my phone had buzzed quite a few times while I was working. But I’d assumed that was just Mandy and Audrey checking up on me. What else had I missed?
His lips curled into a teasing smile. “You? Mother Trina, skipped class? Alert the media. Call the police. We’ve got a juvenile delinquent on our hands.”
I pounded lightly on his chest with my fist, frustration swirling in my stomach. “What news? Did the scans come back? Are you going to be okay?”
His grin dissolved into a serious frown. Cradling my head with his hands, he leaned down until he was at eye level with me. “Trina, there’s no cancer. The scans came back normal. My bloodwork, too. It was a false alarm. My mom got the news this morning.”
Relief spread through me like an opened can of white oil paint dropped onto the floor. It spread to my limbs and shot out my fingertips. I gasped with joy, holding tight to the front of his jersey.
“That’s the best news I’ve ever heard in my entire life.”
An amused grin played on his lips as he tilted his head sideways. “You really didn’t know?”
“I would’ve tackled you on that court during the middle of the game if I’d have known.”
It was true. I wouldn’t have been able to hold in my joy. Mason was safe! He was healthy and wonderful and all mine. I couldn’t believe what a day it’d been. The last fifteen hours felt like fifteen years.
Mason dipped his head and pressed a tantalizing kiss to the hollow beneath my ear. His warm breath on the side of my neck made me shiver with all kinds of longing. “You know, I kind of wish you would’ve tackled me on that court. It really would’ve given the RockValleyBiz something to talk about.”
Dare You to Date the Point Guard (Rock Valley High Book 2) Page 17
